The Trial

Stuff Audio

No weapon, no crime scene, no body

  • 10 minutes 10 seconds
    Polkinghorne Bonus: Sentenced on drug charges

    In the final chapter of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne, the former Auckland eye surgeon found not guilty of murdering his wife, he has been sentenced to 150 hours of community work for drug possession.

    The charges of possessing methamphetamine and a pipe to smoke it followed searches of the family home after the death of Pauline Hanna.

    WARNING: This episode references drug use.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

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    1 November 2024, 2:49 am
  • 27 minutes 18 seconds
    Polkinghorne E13: The Verdict

    After nearly two months and more than 80 witnesses, the jury returns with their finding in the murder trial of Philip Polkinghorne.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

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    27 September 2024, 12:00 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Polkinghorne E12: The closing arguments - murder or suicide?

    The defence and the prosecution present their final arguments after nearly two months of evidence. The Judge delivers a summing up and gives the jury directions before they retire to consider a verdict.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

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    25 September 2024, 4:13 am
  • 52 minutes 14 seconds
    Polkinghorne E11: ‘I'm never good enough’

    For the first time, the court hears emails, found by the defence, that Pauline Hanna wrote to herself. Psychiatrists talk about the possible impact of the mix of medication she was taking. IT experts are at odds over whether texts were started - and deleted - on Hanna’s phone at 4am on the day her death was reported.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

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    23 September 2024, 7:43 am
  • 50 minutes 46 seconds
    Polkinghorne E10: Injuries and interpretations

    Expert defence pathologists offer different conclusions about the cause of death to their Crown counterparts. Colleagues at Auckland Eye describe Polkinghorne as kind and generous. And we hear from the “fishing boys”, who knew “Polky” from trips to their holiday homes in The Coromandel.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

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    20 September 2024, 4:13 am
  • 33 minutes 52 seconds
    Polkinghorne E9: ‘There was no murder’

    As the defence case begins, Polkinghorne’s lawyer describes the police as being “intoxicated” with the idea of murder, and cautions the jury against being distracted by evidence about sex and drugs. Pauline Hanna’s sister says Hanna told her of a suicide attempt more than 30 years ago and Polkinghorne’s ex-wife takes the stand.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

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    16 September 2024, 5:05 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Polkinghorne E8: ‘I haven't come this far to walk away’

    Details of Philip Polkinghorne’s relationships with wife Pauline Hanna and Sydney-based sex worker Madison Ashton emerge when police scrutinise their digital devices. Among their discoveries, thousands of sexual images, and personal correspondence about the state of the marriage. A forensic accountant tells the court that Polkinghorne paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to half a dozen women, including Ashton.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

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    11 September 2024, 9:56 pm
  • 35 minutes 22 seconds
    Polkinghorne E7: ‘Some things are going to come out’

    As the Crown case nears its end, a close friend and colleague alleges Polkinghorne made sex and meth admissions that “shocked” her. There are questions about tensions in the operating theatre, financial stress and positive meth tests at Auckland Eye. An expert explains the ways meth can change behaviour.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    9 September 2024, 9:26 pm
  • 43 minutes
    Polkinghorne E6: The disappearing mark

    Two pathologists face detailed questions about the significance of a mark on Pauline Hanna’s neck, with one asked why they didn’t mention it in their autopsy report. The court hears more about Hanna’s medical history, including her use of unprescribed sleeping tablets and the prescriptions she was given by her GP.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 August 2024, 1:44 am
  • 54 minutes 13 seconds
    Polkinghorne E5: ‘He wants to have sex with everybody’

    In a recording played to the jury, Pauline Hanna talks about the state of her marriage to eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne and their sex life. Close friends recall her sharing an alleged strangulation threat by her husband. The defence challenges them and family members, asking if their recollections are clouded by the belief that Hanna wouldn’t have taken her own life.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 August 2024, 6:24 am
  • 41 minutes 35 seconds
    Polkinghorne E4: ‘She’s never hit me, I’ve never hit her’

    The jury hears Polkinghorne for the first time as the prosecution plays his police interview from the day his wife died. While answering questions about his marriage to Pauline Hanna and her state of mind, he receives a call informing him he’s a suspect. The Crown case continues with a friend of the couple describing his suspicions about Polkinghorne’s behaviour and a detective recalling a visit to a luxury getaway where Polkinghorne was staying with sex worker Madison Ashton.

    WARNING: This podcast references suicide right from the start and throughout the episode. Some listeners might find this distressing. Click here for where to get help in New Zealand.

    Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by becoming a subscriber! You can subscribe to Stuff Extra directly in Apple Podcastsor Click Here to listen on other platforms.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 August 2024, 1:30 am
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